Newspaper Production & Research Center, NP&RC a non-profit newspaper production training school located in Oklahoma City with a 15,000 square foot building, now has a running Goss Metroliner press that will be used to train press operators not only the fundamentals of double-width press operations but will teach advanced courses, as well as maintenance and repair courses on this machine. This press is the only doublewide offset press in the world that is used exclusively for training. Ed Padilla of Global Press Sales donated the double-width Goss Metroliner. The press is equipped with Technotrans spray bars that were donated by Ed Padilla of Global Press Sales and reconditioned by Technotrans at no cost to the school. The press was set in place by Belger Inc., a heavy equipment erection company of Oklahoma City with the guidance of the staff at NP&RC. The pneumatics, dampening system, inking system, and wiring were done through a generous donation of manpower (pressmen, electricians and machinist) by The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. “It has been a long process that is finally complete and could not have been accomplished without the generosity of Ed Padilla” said Frank Bourlon the executive director of NP&RC. “We will now be able to train pressmen how to operate one of the most popular large metropolitan presses in the United States” said Bourlon. Bourlon also said that the only piece of current technology NP&RC does not have is digital inkers, and he hopes to have that early next year. The mechanics of the Goss Metroliner press is similar enough to do training on other Goss double-wide presses as well as other brands of double wide presses.

NP&RC now has four presses at their facility in Oklahoma City used exclusively for training. The offset press that NP&RC has had the longest is the Goss Urbanite press. This press was installed at the school in the early 70’s and had been used for many years to train the offset portion of its double-width training programs. The rest of the double-width offset press course was taught on the double-wide letter press at its facility. NP&RC has installed a Goss Community press line to educate the pressmen from the smaller newspapers through out the country. Currently being installed is a Goss C150/Magnum tower press which will be capable of printing 4x4 color which will be used to educate the single width press operators as well as those newspapers that have crossed over from double wide presses to single wide presses or even double-wide newspapers that have added a single-width press to their operation for preprints or for commercial printing. These presses are very clean and in very good condition so that the quality of the products coming off the conveyor of these presses will be as good as or better than the products being anywhere in the country. “This is the pressman’s school.”

Frank Bourlon has more than 30 years experience in the newspaper industry. He is the executive director for Newspaper Production & Research Center. He can be reached @ 405-524-7774 or via email at nprc@flash.net.